Easy way to remove flash suppressor

[Aldoradave]

For those wanting to put on a muzzle brake or other non stock tip device I offer this very low tech way.

First I tried a pipe wrench with rag (lefty loosy, righty tighty, Thank you), but did not seem to work without a bunch of pressure. Finally put a large flat file through the openings on the stock supressor and it came off easy. Actually any flat piece of steel might work as long as it is about 12 inches long and thin enough to fit through the slots.

Screwed on the two Grizzly Hunters, tightened the screws and it looks like I am in business to irritate those to my right. Rain is gone here in Texas but work interferes with my high science!


Dave Dillehay
USMC 63-68

 

[tacticool22]

I just use barrel vise jaws to put on muzzle brakes and crush washer that work extremely well and don't bother the neighbors.
Where oh where can someone get the parts needed???

 

[vfin]

I used a different approach.

I gave my M&P 10 to my CountryGirl Wife and said, "Honey, if you can get this flash suppressor off this rifle without damaging the rifle and the suppressor, I'll make ya some country sausage & biscuits for breakfast tomorrow and give ya a back rub too".

Went to work, came home, wha-lah, rifle was ready for new muzzle brake mounting!

vfin

 

[prairie]

...Finally put a large flat file through the openings on the stock supressor and it came off easy. Actually any flat piece of steel might work as long as it is about 12 inches long and thin enough to fit through the slots...
Dave Dillehay
USMC 63-68

Dave,

Using the the piece of flat steel is an excellent idea, but the file not so much.
Files are are made of harder steel that tends to crack and break when they are used for a wrench or pry bar.
I remember a fellow classmate in college who tried using a file to remove a brake, and he leaned on it pretty hard. The file broke and he ended up gauging his wrist pretty badly on the broken file. The rifle ended up with blood on it, and the instructor was furious, as it is a capital offense to get blood on a gun. The instructor, while berating him for improperly using a tool, made the student thoroughly clean the blood off the gun before he was allowed to go get stitched up.

 

[Deeked]

I held the rifle between my legs with an empty magazine in it situated between my thighs with the but on the ground. Grabbed my mid sized Crescent wrench and popped it right off. The crush washer was a pain to get off because it spread out and collapsed towards the threads. Just enough that I basically had to thread it off. That was kind of annoying.

 

[tacticool22]

Yeah, the factory crush washers are kind of junk. Mine are waaay better, that's why some well known companies are using them.
I have to agree about using a file as anything other than a file. They are brittle and will shatter. If you get a piece in your eye, you could loose it right then because of how jagged the shards are.

 

[prairie]

My 15 year old son removed the flash hider and mounted a brake by himself. Said he just clamped the barrel in the vise with barrel vise jaws and used a open end wrench to easily remove the hider and install the brake. Don't know hat size wrenches he used on what, but I think he said one was metric and the other SAE. He said it was very easy and simple.

 

[Trotter]

7/8" Box end Wrench worked for me, and a little upper body strength. I did lay it on the floor and use my foot to hold it down. I like things simple.

 

[Aldoradave]

For those concerned:

just for the record, my stock flash hiders show no sign damage from the file i used, but please don't think it takes enough pressure to ding it...or blow up in your face. IT REALLY TAKES LITTLE FORCE.

Yes, a flat metal blade might be/should be better but not many of us have one like that in our garage.

Semper Fi

Dave Dillehay

 

[Gischileu]

If my torque wrench shows up tomorrow, I'll be doing this little project as well - installing a SureFire brake to replace the hole saw shaped factory flash hider.

I'm hoping the person who put the flash hider on the barrel isn't the same gorilla who tightened and staked the castle nut so tight it was almost impossible to remove.